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    FIT Coverage

    First half of independent theater fest highlights some of Dallas' best

    Lindsey Wilson
    Jul 18, 2017 | 4:41 pm

    Opening weekend was a good indicator of quality for this year's Festival of Independent Theatres, which boasts its strongest lineup in years. Of the eight one-act shows featured in repertory during the three-week fest, audiences got to experience a little bit of everything with the first four, all of which opened July 14-16.

    For those unfamiliar with how FIT works, the approximately 50-minute shows are paired up in two-show blocks (which change throughout the festival). So it's entirely feasible to take in 50 percent of the festival in one weekend sitting. The smartest option is to buy a pass, but no matter your ticket situation, you'll want to get to the Bath House Cultural Center early. Competition is cutthroat for seats this year, especially to FIT's big-name offerings.

    One of those would be The Boxer, a live silent movie-style rom-com written and directed by Matt Lyle. It actually premiered at FIT 10 years ago with the same two leads: Jeff Swearingen as the Depression-era pugilist and Kim Lyle as Velma, a plucky gal masquerading as a man in order to find work. It's a meet-cute with baggy trousers, as Velma accidentally punches out the Boxer's trainer and then steps in to take his place, all the while trying to suppress her growing feelings for the scrappy fighter.

    Heightened physical comedy and a few choice lines (mouthed, of course, while dialogue cards appear on the screen behind) lay the groundwork for this show's charming conceit, but it's the music design by pianist B. Wolf and foley work from Johnny Sequenzia that really give it legs. The Boxer has been knocking around fringe festivals and regional theaters ever since its debut in 2007, but it's clear audiences are thrilled to have it back home in Dallas.

    Two other FIT participants with major seniority are WingSpan Theatre Co. and Echo Theatre. The former is a founding member of the festival while the latter has performed during 17 of FIT's 19 years. But audiences probably won't be clamoring for Echo to bring back this year's offering, a choppy adaptation of Ali Smith's tedious and little-performed play Trace of Arc. Saints history, crusading eco-warriors, class struggles, and a litany of advertising jingles all congeal in a gummy mess under longtime Echo producer Kateri Cale in her first foray into directing (she also adapted the script).

    Meanwhile, Susan Sargeant wrings every bit of dark humor and loaded wordplay from Edward Albee's Finding the Sun, about a tangled web of families and lovers (both current and ex) on a beach seeking vitamin D and connection. The cast moves at a brisk clip, dancing over Albee's sometimes shocking conversations with glee and making an obtuse romp in the sand pleasantly accessible.

    But nothing pierces through humanity's hard shell like Sherry Jo Ward's one-woman play Stiff, about her diagnosis and ongoing acceptance of a (literally) one-in-a-million disease called Stiff Person's Syndrome. Ward was an acclaimed and in-demand actor in the DFW area until her body began mysteriously seizing and locking up a few years ago. She briefly continued to act until Echo Theatre's production of Precious Little in 2015, during which she used a cane and relied on cleverly staged opportunities to sit or lean against furniture, and Circle Theatre's Who Am I This Time? (And Other Conundrums of Love) in 2017.

    Now back onstage, Ward reminds audiences of her captivating nature with a brutally honest look at how living with this rare disease has changed every aspect of her life. She is equal parts devastating and hilarious, peppering her script with blue humor and raw confessions (plus some well-timed visual aids, designed for the big screen by Jaymes Gregory), and is quietly helped along when necessary by director Marianne Galloway. It's a show — and a performance — that will be talked about for years to come.

    ---

    The Festival of Independent Theatres continues through August 5, and includes the shows Fiddler's Cave, The Great Dictator, The Caveman Play, and Tommy Cain.

    The cast of Finding the Sun for WingSpan Theatre Co.

    Finding the Sun at FIT
      
    Photo by Lowell Sargeant
    The cast of Finding the Sun for WingSpan Theatre Co.
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    Theater news

    Dallas' Theatre Three asks public for urgent help to keep lights on

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    May 13, 2025 | 5:13 pm
    Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 Off Broadway.
    Photo by Chad Batka
    "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" ran Off Broadway.

    A longtime Dallas theater company is asking for urgent help. Theatre Three (T3) has made a plea to the community for $200,000 in donations to stay in business.

    In a Facebook post on May 13, they say, "Without immediate and substantial help from our community, we will be forced to close our doors."

    They say they've suffered several years' worth of financial hardships, including effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently, cuts in arts funding.

    The post says, in part:

    "For 64 years, Theatre Three has been a cornerstone of Dallas’ creative spirit — bringing bold, innovative productions to life and showcasing the extraordinary talent of our local artists, designers, and creatives. We have been an intimate stage for everyone. But now, we face the greatest challenge in our history.

    "After mourning the loss of our beloved Jac Alder, and then, under the leadership of the incredible Jeffrey Schmidt, surviving the immense toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves once again at a significant crossroads. The ongoing erosion of support for the arts has dealt a devastating blow to our funding ...

    Our goal is $200,000. This is not the news we want to share, but it is news that we believe you all would want to know."

    The post is signed by board members Jessica Turner Waugh, Suzanne Burkhead, Rosa Medina-Cristobal, Scott T. Williams, Robert McCollum, Harrison Herndon, David G. Luther, Mia Glogau, and Jon Collins.

    Donations, they say, will help support local artists, staff and creatives to produce their next show, Xanadu; counter the rising costs of rent, insurance, and production; and allow them to retain staff.

    "We know times are tough. But we also know what this theater and its people mean to our city and to the generations who have found meaning, joy, and belonging within its walls," they say. "And that is why we are making this urgent plea. Help us preserve this Dallas institution."

    They end the post with a link to their donation page: https://www.theatre3dallas.com/support/.

    T3's black-box theater Theatre Too's final show of the season is The Mystery of Irma Vep, a fast-paced and campy parody that is on stage now through May 18.

    Theatre Three will close out its current season with Xanadu, a high-energy, roller-skating extravaganza that brings the 1980 cult film to life. Douglas Carter Beane is behind the hilarious book, and music and lyrics are by John Farrar and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) founding member Jeff Lynne. It is set to run June 5-July 6, 2025.

    In addition to a full season of mainstage productions, Theatre Three offers additional programs for the community throughout the year.

    Monday Night Playwright features unique and affordable opportunities for local writers to showcase their works. Fight Night provides the community and artists alike with movement and other physical skills through monthly stage combat classes.

    The Norma Young Advanced Acting Lab, a collaboration with Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, is in its fifth year. Students have access to masterclasses hosted by industry professionals and exclusive insight on the professional production process at Theatre Three, then the course concludes with a professionally produced showcase.

    Theatre Three is located at 2688 Laclede St. in the Quadrangle in Uptown Dallas. For more information in productions and programs, visit their website.

    ---

    Lindsey Wilson contributed to this story.

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